Pushing Hands (Chinese: 推手; pinyin:
tuī shǒu) is a film directed by Ang Lee. Released in
1992, it was his first feature film. Together with
Ang Lee''s two following films, The Wedding Banquet
(1993) and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), it forms his
"Father Knows Best" trilogy, each of which deals
with conflicts between an older and more traditional
generation and their children as they confront a
world of change.

The film was first released in Taiwan. After The
Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman became
successful in the United States, Pushing Hands
received a U.S. release.

Plot:
The story is about an elderly Chinese t''ai chi
ch''uan teacher and grandfather who emigrates from
Beijing to live with his son, American
daughter-in-law, and grandson in a New York City
suburb. The grandfather is increasingly distanced
from the family as a "fish out of water" in Western
culture. The film shows the contrast between
traditional Chinese ideas of Confucian relationships
within a family and the much more informal Western
emphasis on the individual. The friction in the
family caused by these differing expectations
eventually leads to the grandfather moving out of
the family home (something very alien to traditional
expectations), and in the process he learns lessons
(some comical, some poignant) about how he must
adapt to his new surroundings before he comes to
terms with his new life.

Outstanding, Quiet and Personable Film
7 March 2001 | by Mitch-38 (Houston, Texas)
The adage of "Great things come in small packages"
aptly applies to PUSHING HANDS/TUI SHOU. The film
deftly tells its story with charm,
humor and grace. A son''s elderly father is the
newest part of the family, and troubles therein lie.
Essentially, it''s a story of one family,
yet could easily fit into many households. So many
topics are breached, under the gentle, loving eye of
the director (Ang Lee). The leads, the venerable
Sihung Lung, Deb Snyder and Bo Z. Wang, do a
credible job bringing this story to life.
Recommended.